Never Ending Journey
by FairyFangirl7
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia has no memories of her life before Central. She travels Fiore looking for answers, following three very strict rules of survival. Natsu Dragneel dreams of a girl, and knows that he has to find her. The only problem is, when he wakes up, he cannot remember what she looks like! What exactly is Central? Who is Nina? Nalu in later chapters.
1. Three Rules

**This is my first fanfiction so please be nice! I know that the first chapter or two might be vague but bear with me please it will get better I promise. I do not own Fairy Tail even though I wish I did. If I did though, Nalu would have already happened.**

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**Lucy's POV**

I pushed through the brush without a sound. Distantly I could hear a waterfall, which meant a stream, which meant water. I hadn't had anything to drink in days. Going to the small town in the middle of nowhere had been a horrible idea from the start, but I was getting desperate.

Dead end.

Just another dead end.

The so called 'witch' that lived in the town was just a fake pretending to read people's futures for money, which had been obvious. Since couldn't even read tea leaves correctly, I knew for a fact that she wouldn't be able to help me.

I had gotten out of that town as quickly as I could. Biting my lip to keep myself from crying, I came across a stream.

_Water. _Getting down on my knees, I gulped as much of the liquid as I could before filling up an empty canteen in my bag. Walking upstream for a mile or two should bring me to the waterfall, where I could rest before moving on.

By the time I got to the waterfall, it was nearly sunset. I would have to continue through the night if I wanted to make it over the border in time. Oh well, I suppose one more night without sleep wouldn't hurt me too bad. I trudged along the stream until the sound of rushing water grew louder in my ears. Only then did I dare look anywhere but straight ahead.

The waterfall was beautiful. The water spilled out over a type of cliff and fell gently down the rocks. Though still a good twenty feet away, the spray was slowly soaking me. I smiled for the first time in weeks and let the beauty overwhelm me. Sitting on a smooth, steady rock near the falls, I rested my aching legs and allowed my eyes to rest. Constantly on the run meant constantly on edge, and these rare moments of peace were to be savored.

I took a moment to examine myself.

My blond hair, though once golden and silky, fell in tangles. It had grown a good four or five inches in the past few months, so I would have to cut it soon. My hands were crusted and dirty, with mud under my fingernails. I was wearing dirty black jeans that allowed plenty of movement for my travels and the occasional fight with a bandit or thief that I would cross paths with. I had a black cloth wrapped around my cleavage instead of a shirt because mine had been torn to shreds days ago. Black boots topped off my appearance and though I couldn't see them, I was sure that there were bags under my dull, lifeless brown eyes.

I looked up to see the sun setting in the sky. Too soon. But I had to move. _Always move forward, never look back._ It was the most important of the few rules I followed. _1. Always move forward, never look back. 2. Travel alone, so as not to be betrayed or slowed down. 3. Emotion is weakness. _These rules kept me alive. I never showed emotion. I never cried, never laughed, rarely smiled. And most importantly, I never showed fear. I never took along companions, not even when they desperately needed me. I always moved on. Never in the same place twice. Never return somewhere you have already been. Except for _that place, _of course.

Time to move again. I stood and welcomed the cover of darkness before setting out once more, on the never ending journey that was my life.

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**Thank you fro reading, and please review. Criticize but don't be too mean, because I am new at this. I will update soon!**


	2. Not So Sweet Dreams

**Hi! I know that I just posted last night but I was in a writing mood and my fingers wouldn't stop moving. Here is the second chapter of my fanfiction so please enjoy! ;)**

**I do not own Fairy Tail. (Though I wish I did!)**

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Natsu's POV

_Running. I was running from something. I didn't know where I was, or what was chasing me, I just knew that I was terrified. All that could be seen around me was darkness and shadows, but I pushed passed it. All I wanted to do was get away._

_ Then, suddenly, I was the one doing the chasing. There were still shadows surrounding me but I was no longer scared. There was a figure running in front of me, but far enough away that I could see just a bare outline. As I got closer, I realized that the figure was cloaked. I knew that I had to reveal the face, see who exactly I was chasing. I reached out my hand, pulled, and…_

_ Warm, brown eyes met mine. They were the eyes of an infant, happy and alive. The eyes were attached to a laughing child with short, beautiful blond hair. Then, the child grew taller and older before my eyes, and those warm brown eyes turned cold and sorrowful. The girl was now my age, and looking at me with pure hatred and rage. Though if I looked closer, I could see pain and loss deep within them._

_ "Who are you?" I asked_

_ The girl only glared and turned to run. I knew that I needed to find her, but why? I grabbed her arm and felt a shock of pain. Guilt, despair, hunger, loss, sorrow, anger, hatred, and most importantly, death filled me. I had never felt so much pain. I screamed, but the pain only grew. Then I collapsed on the ground and gave in to the dread that filled me. _

I woke up in bed, gasping. The same dream, every night, for seven years. Who was that girl? Why did she feel so much pain and loss? Most people would say that it was only a reoccurring nightmare, but I knew in my heart that the girl was real. Igneel had taught me to follow my instincts, and they told me that I needed to find this girl.

But then what? Kill her? Help her? I didn't know what exactly it was. After Igneel left, I had started having this dream. At first I had hoped that the cloaked figure would be Igneel, but as time grew on, the dreams got longer, and I learned that Igneel was not the person that I was meant to be chasing. I had gone to Grandine, and she had told me that it was my unknown mission. Unfortunately, that was all she was able to say. And her daughter Wendy was no help either.

But I needed to find this girl, whoever she was. And I needed to find her soon. I had been looking for seven years, but every time I got a lead, I would lose it. The only thing that I knew for sure was that this girl was looking for something. Every lead I had gotten lead me to a witch or soothsayer. Unfortunately, that was as far as they went. When I got close to her, she would disappear off the map.

"Natsuuu! Feed me I'm hungry!" Happy said. Happy was a flying, walking, talking, blue cat. Otherwise known as an Exceed. He had been my only partner or friend from day one. I traveled too much to really have close ties to anything or anyone because I was chasing this girl, but Happy kept me from getting to lonely.

"Alright, alright. Calm down." I mumbled.

"So what's the agenda for today?"

I thought. The dream had been more vivid this time, and if I thought about it, there was someone in the background. A person, maybe? It looked to me like another witch. The face was oddly familiar though, and I thought I might know where to find her. "We leave at dawn."

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**Thanks for reading the next chapter will be up soon. Until then, please review and sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes. Bye!**


	3. Central

**I had so much fun writing this chapter! Ok, guys, after today I may not be able to post as often, so I thought I should give you a heads up. I will still post as often as I can but I still wanted to let you know. I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

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Lucy's POV

I ducked. This guy was a good fighter, but not good enough. After avoiding his punch I quickly spun around and kicked him in the gut. He doubled over and I chopped him on the back of the neck. He collapsed.

I would cross paths with the occasional bandit, and they almost always ended up challenging me. I didn't know why, nor did I care. As long as I got passed them, I didn't dwell on the matter.

I moved around the guy and went on my way. Looking up at the sky, I realized that it was about midday. I was late, but I was almost to the border. Another few miles and I would be off the map.

Not twenty minutes later, I ran into the guard of the border. He wore a long brown coat and plain black clothes underneath. He had thick boots and a belt with a gun, and the scowl on his face was enough to scare anyone out of their wits. But he merely nodded at me, knowing my face. I came in and out often enough that they stopped even asking me the password.

I nodded back and went on my way. I slowed my pace and let my heart rate calm for the first time in months. Taking the time to watch the trees grow thinner and thinner, until finally I came upon what looked like a small, ordinary town. Children ran past me, laughing and screaming with joy. To my right there were tall buildings, all different in sizes, shapes, and color. They all had symbols on the front and all of the symbols were completely different.

To my left, there were shops and a market. If I kept wondering I knew that I would find a few apartment buildings, a hospital, and a weaponry. The weaponry was a little cliché, but it came in handy to me pretty often.

I passed two boys my age, their two exceeds trailing behind them. One had light blond hair and pale blue eyes, while the other was exactly the opposite. With black hair and red eyes, Rogue was the exact opposite of his 'brother'.

"Hey, Lucy!" the lighter one said, while the dark boy simply nodded to me.

"Sting, Rogue." I greeted without stopping.

"When did you get back?" Sting never let my attitude get him down and never took it personally. He knew that it was just the way I was. He walked beside me, Lector at his side. Rogue and Frosch stayed behind.

"Two minutes ago."

"Then I am going to suppose that you haven't heard the news? We got a newcomer today." His words froze me in my tracks. Central almost never got newcomers. No one from the outside world even knew about it unless they were one of us, and it was rare for any of us to point someone in this direction.

"Newcomer?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. I figured you would be interested, since she seems to be a lot like you." He hinted.

"She? What do you mean like me." At my question, Sting seemed surprised. I wasn't one to ask questions. Nor was I one to be curious in the first place.

"Yeah. About seven years old and showed up on the other side of the border. Refuses to say anything except that she feels like someone if following her. If I recall, you were the exact same way. Only difference is, you didn't remember who you were or how you ended up near the border in the first place." He looked pointedly at me. "Maybe you should go talk to her. She's in the capitol."

Central didn't actually have a capitol. It was just a building where we took the occasional newcomer, as well as where we went for work and to join leagues. We called it the capitol because it was the closest we had to a government.

I said nothing, just started in the direction of the capitol. Sting hollered goodbye and went back to Rogue. Probably headed to Sabertooth.

When I arrived at the capitol, I took a moment to look at the building. It wasn't very high class, because Central tried not to draw any unwanted attention to itself. It was easily the tallest building here, and had pillars in the front made of brick. No marble staircase. No glorious statues. But compared to some places that you saw in central, it was the white house.

I took a deep breath and pushed through the doors. Everyone turned to look at me, probably because I was rarely seen in this part of central, but quickly turned away. I had a reputation here as the closed up girl with no past, but no one felt sorry for me because I proved multiple times that they didn't need to. Everyone knew my name, just like I knew all of theirs. We all had one thing in common: a story worth telling.

Walking straight up to the man we called Boss, I gave him a pointed look. He knew what I wanted. "Are you sure, Lucy? You would have to claim responsibility."

"It might be a lead, Boss. I know the consequences."

He nodded. "Alright then. She is yours now. But remember, you are now responsible for this girl's every move. When you leave, you either find a league to watch her or you take her with you. I am not going to give you the whole speech because you have lived in Central long enough to get it. Do you understand?"

I just blinked at him.

He gave me a small smile and pointed at a door. "I have a feeling you don't want to bother with the paperwork or the pledge, so I'll take care of it for you."

Thanking him, I walked straight up to the doors and pushed through them before I could change my mind. Inside was a girl names Mirajane, who was tending to a younger girl. Mira turned to me and wasn't at all surprised.

"I had a feeling you would claim her." Mira winked at me. "This is the first time you have ever taken on the responsibility of someone else, but I'm not going to give you the usual speech. I assume Boss didn't either." I shook my head and she smiled. "You have always been his favorite."

Mira then turned to the girl. "This is Lucy. She will explain everything to you, so don't be nervous. You can always return if you need anything at all. Central treats everyone like family." She turned back to me. "I have to get back to Fairy Tail. You take it from here." She left without another word.

I gave the girl a once over. She had long, dark purple hair that reached her waist and bright dark blue eyes that were filled with both curiosity and fear. She was wearing a simple white dress with sleeves to her elbows and white slippers covering her feet. The girl couldn't have been more than seven. "Hi, I'm Lucy. What's your name?"

She stumbled over her words. "I-I'm N-Nina, Lucy-s-san."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Anything but the –san please, I don't like formality. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Now why don't I give you a tour of Central and we can talk."

The girl nodded enthusiastically and followed me out of the capitol. We walked in silence for a few minutes before I looked down at her. "So, how much do you know about Central?"

She shook her head. "Not much. All I know is it is safe. Daddy…Daddy told me about it right before he died. He said that he used to live here but left because he wanted to start a family in the normal world. He said to just keep going north until I reached the border, and that I would know it when I saw it. Daddy died a few minutes later."

I hesitated, then guided her over to a park bench. "You don't have to tell anyone your story, it is not required. Everyone in Central is given the choice to keep their past a secret. I would like it if you told me, but you can wait as long as you need to. Now why don't I tell you a bit about Central?"

She nodded gratefully, a sign for me to continue. "Central is a bit of a mystery. None of us here know who exactly created it, all we know it that it has been around for about a hundred and twenty years. Central is a safe haven for anyone who wishes to escape the world outside. It is very rare for us to get newcomers, and most us the people here were born here or stumbled upon it by accident. We provide food, shelter, jobs, even insurance. Everyone here is one big family. We fight and we tease, but in the end we always stand up for one another. People here offer something to each other that we cannot get on the outside: comfort, home, love. Most of us here have been alone and we all have some sort of story to tell."

"How does it work?" She asked.

"We have a sort of system. It has its faults, but without it there would be chaos. The capitol is where they took you after they found you. We don't really have a main building or courthouse or anything like that, so the capitol serves for these purposes. On the right side of Central, there are the leagues and the dorms. Leagues come in all different types. One way to describe them would be to call it a family inside a family. Almost everyone here joins leagues. We like to all them guilds as a private joke. Mage guilds, because everyone here is unique and a lot of us have special talents and skills. Some examples of these guilds are Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, and many more. I personally am not part of a guild, but I will explain that later. Most of the guilds provide dorms for their members to live in."

Nina thought for a moment. "What about the people who don't join guilds?"

"They are the ones who run the rest of Central. They work in shops, hospitals, and a select few even work at the capitol. When you do not wish to join a guild, you go to the capitol and they give you a place to work. If it needs to be done, they do it. Everyone in Central contributes to the society on some way. Any more questions?"

"Well, um, oh! What about school?"

"Schools are optional. We don't have to have education, but the guilds provide it for their younger members to go to if they choose. There is a small building near the capitol that we use as a public school for those who have not joined a guild. Many choose to be homeschooled."

"Where do you work?" She asked innocently.

I sighed. "Everyone in Central in considered equal, and though we have a different status for each, it is just a way for us not to all get confused. As a joke, those who join guilds are called Mages. Those who do not are the Tans, and please don't ask me why because that is just the way it is. I, on the other hand, am a special case. They call me a Rouge. I volunteer around Central while I am here and have an apartment near the border, but I don't usually stay long. The longest I have stayed in the past few years is five months. I leave Central to try and find answers, but Central is the place that I have called home for as long as I can remember."

"Oh." She put some thought into this. "Were you born here, Lucy?"

"No. At least, I don't think so." I answered quietly.

Nina gave me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"When…When I was around three to four years old I woke up about a mile away from the border with no memory of who I was or where I came from. All I knew was that I felt like I was being followed, so I ran as fast as I could until I stumbled upon the border. It was a shock to most people around here, and it was hard for me. Luckily, I was claimed by a woman by the name of Kanya Celesty. It made it a bit easier for me to adjust."

"Claimed?" She asked.

I looked down at her young, innocent figure and sighed. "When someone younger than age sixteen comes to Central, anyone here has the option to claim them. It is sort of like adoption, but most think of it as becoming a mentor. They assume all responsibility for that child and are charged with becoming a sort of parent, teaching them the ways of Central. The child has the right to decline the claiming at any point in time for twelve months after being claimed, and if they don't they are stuck with the person who claimed them until the age of sixteen. When a person reaches this age they assume responsibility for themselves and are given the choice of becoming a Tan, a Mage, or a Rouge. They are allowed to change their status whenever they wish, as long as they alert the capitol. Tans and Mages are allowed to leave Central, but have to alert the capitol first. Rouges can leave whenever they wish as long as they leave on the west side of the border and are aware of the password to enter back in."

"So, um, you claimed me? Why?" Nina asked.

"Because I was in a similar situation. I was told that you felt like you were being followed, and so do I. Maybe we can find some answers together."

She nodded happily. "I would like that. So, why did you become Rouge?"

I smiled at her. My smile was rare, but this girl made me pretty happy. "Because I wanted to be able to leave at a moment's notice, in case I got a lead on someone who might be able to help me. Also, the choice was a bit harder for me. Kanya died of illness when I was thirteen, but I had still been with her for a good ten years. After she died, many people around here offered to take me in until I was sixteen, but I refused. I chose to take responsibility for myself, which happens rarely if at all."

She frowned. "Lucy, where am I supposed to live?"

I nudged her. "You can stay with me if you'd like. I have a spare bedroom. C'mon, I'll take you to my apartment."

She held my hand during the walk and for the first time since Kanya died, I felt like someone understood me.

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Natsu's POV

Happy flew me for a few miles, but for most of our journey we had to walk. I took the time to think about what I would do if and when I finally met this girl. I couldn't kill her, I knew that for sure. She might be able to help me find Igneel. Or maybe I was supposed to help her with something. Whatever it was, I just had to find her.

And how would I approach her? I could try, _Hey there stranger! I just wanted you to know that I have been dreaming about you since my dad disappeared, so do you happen to know why? _Or maybe, _Hi, I don't know who you are, but I have been searching for you for years. I'm not sure if I need your help or maybe you need mine, but worst case scenario I end up having to kill you! By the way, I'm Natsu. _Yeah, I could totally use that. The likelihood of her believing I was sane were slim at this point.

Especially since I wasn't even sure myself.

I was an eighteen-year old, pink haired pyromaniac who was searching for a girl I had met in a dream with a flying, talking blue cat whom I had hatched from an egg named Happy. Yeah. Totally sane.

Either way, I knew this girl existed, and I also knew that I had to find her. No matter what it took.

About twelve hours after we set out, Happy and I came upon a small town in the middle of nowhere. After wondering around for a few more hours, not sure exactly what we were looking for, something drew me to a hut in the middle of the town. I stepped inside and was greeted by a familiar looking woman. She had short black hair and bright green eyes. The woman looked to be about thirty. After looking me up and down, she came over and hugged me.

"Natsu Dragneel, you have grown so much! What brings you here?" Sylvia asked.

"A quest. You know, the one I told you about last time I came to visit?" I told her.

"You were serious about that? I thought it was just a game you made up. You were ten after all." She gave me a worried look. "So the dream was real too? Are you still having it?"

"Yes, Via, I am still having it. It is more vivid recently, so I believe that I might be getting closer. I see the girl's face now too, and I think that she may have come to visit you recently?" I asked hopefully.

"Now, dear. Many young girls have come to visit me. You must be more specific."

I thought for a moment. "She has long blond hair and milky brown eyes. Oh, and if you look deeper into her eyes you can see pain and suffering, which isn't good. She seems to be about seventeen and is a little shorter than me, but still fairly tall." _I remembered this time, but with my luck I will probably forget what she looks like tomorrow. I never remember._

Sylvia immediately paled.

"Yes. Yes she was here."

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**Thank you guys so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Again, I loved writing this chapter and promise to update again when I can. Nina will play an important role in later chapters so stay tuned. Please review! I apologize for any grammar mistakes. Until next time!**


	4. Promise

**Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't posted, but I was grounded from everything except homework. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it!**

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_Sylvia immediately paled._

_"Yes. Yes she was here."_

Natsu's POV

"She was? When? Do you know where she is? Yes! I finally found her!" I laughed, happy that my quest was over.

"_Was_, Natsu. She _was_ here. I am not entirely sure where she is now." Sylvia reused to look me in the eye, and I instantly knew that something happened. And not something good.

"What happened, Via?" I asked, no longer in a good mood.

She hesitated before speaking. "Well, it was about a week ago when it happened. The young lady came into my hut and asked me for help. She refused to tell me what with until I proved that I was a real witch. We started with a simple palm-reading, but after a successful reading she still wasn't convinced. So we moved on to tea leaves. Of course by then I was so curious about what she might need help with that I didn't pay much attention and read the leaves wrong. The girl apparently knew quite a bit about tea leaves and palm readings because she had visited many witches throughout the years. I tried to stop her but she called me a fake and walked out! If only I had read the leaves right the first time. After she left I looked at her leaves again and saw that she had much pain and sorry in her past. So I consulted the globe, which I almost never do, and realized that what the poor girl needed help with was one of the few things that I am unable to do!" Sylvia seemed distraught. "She wanted memories. I only got bits and pieces, but I know that she lost hers at a young age and is unable to get them back."

I stood there, shocked. Maybe I _was _supposed to help her but first I had to find her. But if she was there a week ago, then she could be long gone by now. "Do you know where she is? Or at least a name?" She shook her head sadly.

"The poor girl seemed to have trust issues. Even if I asked her name she would have given me a fake one, if she answered the question at all. I am sorry Natsu, but I can tell you that the girl ran towards the woods. Or at least that is what I heard from the townsfolk." She smiled sadly at me and wished me good luck after I hugged her goodbye. Giving her a simple nod, I headed for the trees, Happy trailing behind me.

The woods. Did she really have to travel through the bloody freaking woods? I pushed through some brush only to trip over a tree roots and fall into some briers. "Damn it!" I shouted at nothing.

"Natsu…the trees are only getting thicker. And we have been traveling for hours!" Happy complained. "I already ate all the fish, and your food tastes like charcoal. I'm starving!"

"I will find you something to eat in a little bit, Happy." After clearing a few more feet, I realized something. "Hey Happy, do these woods look familiar to you? I think I've been here before."

Happy looked around. "I don't think I have seen them before. Maybe you were here before you found my egg?"

_That's right. Before I found Happy's egg, I had been looking for Igneel and wondering about the girl from the dreams, much like I do now. _I thought. Hmmm…these woods looked a bit like the ones that led to… "I got it!" I shouted happily. "Beyond these woods is the border to Central!"

"Central? Natsu, what is Central?"

"Central is the place that Igneel and I used to live, remember? I told you about it." I said, speeding up my pace. If I took the shortcut, I could get there by sundown. Wait a second, what was the password again? _Oh right, I remember now. _

"Oh yeah. So, this girl that you dream about was there the whole time?" Happy suddenly started laughing. "That is funny Natsu, you could have gone home and completed your quest at the same time but you wasted years!"

"Hey Happy, are you done laughing now?" I growled at him angrily. I was perfectly aware of my situation thank you very much.

Happy wiped his eyes. "Aye."

"Good, now follow me."

Lucy's POV

I woke up to screaming in the middle of the night. Looking around my bedroom, I didn't see anyone, and I wasn't screaming. Who could it be?

The screaming got louder and I shot out of the comfortable pink covers to follow the noise. It led me to the guest bedroom. No, it was Nina's bedroom now. She was screaming, and when I opened the doors, I saw her tossing around in bed with tears streaming down her face. Having nightmares was normal for newcomers, and I still remembered my first few nights. Unfamiliar town, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar everything. But it was easier for me in a way, because I didn't remember what was familiar. I only remembered the woods and Central.

Rushing over to her, I sat on the bed and put my hands on the poor girl. She immediately woke and stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. "Hush now Nina, everything is going to be alright." I held her and she cried into my arms, whispering soothing words in an attempt to comfort her.

"T-They all died, L-Lucy." Nina sobbed. "Everyone!"

"It was just a dream, Nina. You're safe now." I whispered to her.

She trembled in my arms for a moment before looking up at me. "Promise?"

I hesitated. Promises were something that I didn't make, because they could backfire on you at any moment. But still. "Yes, I promise. Nothing will happen to you. Go back to sleep."

She searched my eyes for a moment, as if making sure that I was telling the truth, before speaking. "Stay with me?"

I nodded and got next to her under the covers. She fell asleep quickly while clutching my arm and I watched her face relax into a soft, peaceful sleep. This would take some getting used to.

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**Wow. This chapter seemed a lot longer when I was writing it. I promise to post again when I can. Please review. Bye!**


	5. Barriers

**Alright, here is chapter 5! I kinda feel like I am rushing through this, so please tell me if I need to slow it down. I promise that there will be Nalu soon, but it is difficult to find an opening. I do not own Fairy Tail.**

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Lucy's POV

The next morning, Nina asked if there were any people her age around Central. I knew of a few but never actually spoke to them. Nina was the type of girl that had a much easier time adjusting to new places and things if she had a friend or two to help her through it. I was exactly the opposite, so I wasn't used to having friends. That was where Gray came in.

Gray was a mage of Fairy Tail, one of the 'guilds'. Though he wasn't the easiest to get along with, he knew everyone and everyone knew him. He would help out around town along with his normal mage jobs. Gray had been one of the first people I met here because his mother, Ur, had been friends with Kanya. Since they both died around the same time, we had formed a mutual bond and comforted each other. He was the perfect person to help out.

Of course, Gray lived in the guild men's dorms, so I couldn't exactly visit him. All I could do was hope that he was in Fairy Tail at this particular moment.

Going to the guilds was not uncommon for me. I knew many people from many different leagues and they came about as close to 'friends' as I could get. When I was in Central, I would spend my time there catching up on the latest gossip, or spending time with others so as to try and practice my social skills (not that it ever worked). Most of the time, the people in the guilds would be the ones who gave me new leads on someone to help me with my memories.

Stopping in front of Fairy Tail, I gave Nina a reassuring look and pushed through to doors. It was a madhouse of course, as Fairy Tail always was. Fights, drinking contests, challenges, and a mixture of both laughter and threats filled my ears. A few eyes turned to me, but the rest simply continued with what they were doing. I gazed around the hall to see Gray arguing with Cana, Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker and fortune teller, by the bar.

"Hey Stripper!" I yelled at him. "Get over here!"

He turned to look at me and seemed mildly surprised, but obeyed none the less. Nina took one look at the half naked man and grabbed my hand, nervous. Though for most I would have simply smacked their hand away, I smiled down at her and she immediately relaxed.

When I smiled, the entire guild froze to look at me. Huh. I guessed my smiling was rarer than I thought. Oh well.

I rolled my eyes at their stares and beckoned Gray out the doors. When we were safely out of earshot, I turned to him.

"It's been a while, Lucy. How have you been?" Gray asked politely.

I glared at him. "Same old."

"Now, might I ask why you dragged me out here?" He looked down at Nina, and recognition immediately flickered in his eyes. "Ah, the newbie. I thought it was just a rumor that you claimed her. So I'm guessing that you want a favor."

I sighed. "Yeah. I have some errands to run and was hoping that you might watch her for a while?" At hearing this, Nina clutched my hand tighter.

Gray smiled. "Of course! Anything for the Rouge Star."

I nodded at him and turned to Nina. "Nina, this is Gray. You can trust him…I think." Gray put a hand over his heart and pretended to be offended, but I ignored him. "And though he believes that he is in charge, remember that you are technically the more mature one here. Think of it as babysitting the nineteen-year-old stripper. Ok?" Nina giggled at my Lucy logic and nodded her head happily.

I turned to Gray. "Behave." I told him. Nina let go of my hand and hugged me before dragging him off to who-knows-where.

I pivoted and started heading towards the market. I had realized last night that I was low on food, and there were some people I had to see anyway. People who would great me with smiles and ask me how I have been. People who would laugh at my sarcasm, even when they weren't supposed to, and who would treat me like one of their own. It annoyed the hell out of me, and I had a habit of criticizing their every move when I got the chance.

But deep down, I liked it.

Natsu's POV

Finally, I reached the border to Central. Happy had fallen asleep on my head hours ago, but I had walked through the night. It was about ten in the morning, so the 'town' would be wide awake by now. I wondered if it had changed at all.

I was surprised to find a familiar face guarding the border, and immediately laughed wholeheartedly for the first time in quite a while.

"Gildarts!"

The man turned and gave me a funny look. Didn't he recognize me? Had I been away that long? Then, slowly, a smile crept onto his face.

"Natsu, my boy! It's been too long. Have you finally decided to come back, or are you still looking for that girl of yours?" Gildarts walked over and patted me on the back.

I grinned at him. "Little bit of both. It would be easier if I could remember what she looks like after I wake up in the morning."

He simply rolled his eyes. "You haven't changed a bit."

I looked him in the eye. "So, how's Central?"

"Just the same. Tans run the stores, Mages act like idiots, and I try and stay out of the way." I through him a pointed look. "Okay, so I don't try and stay out of the way. Don't judge me!"

I put my hands up in surrender. "Not judging. So they survived without me?"

"Yeah. At first it was pretty quiet in the guild. Not nearly as many fights. But eventually they picked up the pace. Had to put on a show for our Rouge Star." Gildarts laughed at the confuse look on my face. "You'll learn soon. By the way, is that an Exceed?" He was looking at Happy and I nodded. "Nice. There are a few exceeds in Central. Frosch, who belongs to Rogue. Lector, whom usually sticks by Sting. And of course there is Panther Lily, Gajeel's partner."

Wow. I thought. "Wow." I said. "That's a lot more than I remember. The only Exceed I have met other than Happy is Charle. She acts like a bodyguard to a girl named Wendy, who's mom Grandine helped me a bit when I first left."

Gildarts nodded, and beckoned me towards the border. "I don't have to ask you the password, since I know who you are. Have fun, but don't cause too much trouble. Not while _she _is here."

"She?" I asked. Gildarts didn't answer. He just winked at me and turned back to his post. I shook my head and made my way towards Fairy Tail.

I turned and gave my trademark grin to Happy before busting through the doors to the guild. "I made it back alive!" I shouted at the same time Happy went, "Where's the fish?!"

All eyes turned to us in temporary shock. Erza was the first to react. She came over to me and pulled my head roughly against her armor in a hug. _Ouch. _"Glad to have you back, Natsu." She said loudly in her typical I-am-the-boss-and-don't-you-forget-it voice.

Then, cheers erupted around the guild. Some people came a patted me on the back, while others challenged me to fights. Challenges that I gladly accepted. Soon the whole guild was fighting with one another and making empty threats. Home sweet home.

Then, I realized something was off. "Where is that fucking stripper?"

Cana looked up from her beer. "He was captured by a Rouge Star."

"Huh?" I asked.

Erza rolled her eyes. "She means that he is doing a favor for Lucy. She showed up a few weeks after you left. Nice girl, but her rules hide her true personality."

I gave her a blank stare.

Erza was about to continue, but Gajeel spoke up before her. "Erza, don't give away all of Bunny Girl's life story!"

Erza glared at him. "We trust each other in Central, Gajeel. Everyone knows everything about each other. You have lived here as long as the rest of us, so you should know." She turned back to me. "What was I saying? Right, Lucy. She woke up about a mile away from the border with no memory of who she was or how she got there. In fact, all she knew was that her name was Lucy and she was being followed. Didn't even know her own age, poor thing. We guessed that she was about three. Kanya claimed her quickly, which was strange since everyone knows that Kanya never cared much about the newcomers. But anyways, Kanya claimed her and taught her everything from how to read to how much pressure to put on a knife in order to cut through bone. Seriously, girl is scary. She got even worse after Kanya died. In fact, I think she stopped being anything but scary. Kanya dies when she was about thirteen, so she had plenty of offers from numerous guilds and families. She refused all of them, and a week later, she went Rouge. We call Lucy the Rouge Star because, well, obviously because she is rouge. But the Star part comes because she is just like a star. By the time you realize that she is there and see her bright light, she is already gone." Erza spoke sadly.

Wow. This girl must be crazy dangerous if even Erza the Titania describes her as scary. And becoming Rouge at thirteen? It was rare enough to go Rouge in the first place, but so young? "Wait a minute, I thought that we didn't have an official status until we were sixteen."

Macao spoke for the first time. "_We _don't. Lucy was an exception. The Boss has always liked her best. She is hard not to like, once you get to know her."

"I want to _get to know her, _if you know what I mean." Wakaba laughed perversely.

"I know, right? Girl may be young, but she has some serious curves. And huge breasts, too. No wonder every guy in Central is wrapped around her finger." Macao grinned.

The doors to the guild opened just then revealing the Ice Princess himself. "Hey, Ash Brains, your back." Gray didn't give me a second look.

"Hey, Gray, what is it our Rouge Star wanted?" Mira spoke.

"Love-Rival!" Juvia hissed.

Gray laughed. "Oh, not much. She just asked me to watch the newbie while she ran some errands."

I took notice of the guild's sudden change in mood.

"So it's true?"

"Lu-chan actually claimed the newcomer?"

"Who knew that Bunny-Girl even paid attention to that stuff?"

"Well, I'm not surprised one bit."

The guild was in a roar. Was the Lucy chick really all that bad? I mean, she couldn't be if everyone liked her so much. I was about to voice my thoughts when I was, once again, interrupted by the doors opening. Loke stood there, panting.

"Loke, what is it?"

"Saw…Lucy. In the…park…with the new girl. She….was….laughing." He wheezed.

Everyone froze, yet again. Loke wasn't one to lie, but their looks were disbelieving. Lucy must be very strange if everyone had this reaction to every little move she made.

"Impossible." Gray said. "One of the only three rules that the Rouge Star follows is _Emotion is Weakness. _Seeing a smile is rare enough. None of us have ever heard her laugh, and we have known her for fourteen years."

Loke had finally caught his breath and was smiling at the ceiling. "When she laughs, it is like an angel has descended from the heavens and placed a kiss on your cheek. Her smile so warm, her eyes so caring, as if they have never seen pain or greed. Her lips-"

"Shut the hell up and take up to her!" Gramps shouted. Gramps was the Master of Fairy Tail.

Loke nodded and shot out the doors, half of the guild following.

Happy turned to me. "Should we go see Lushi?"

I looked at him, considering for a moment, before shrugging and grinning at him. "I'm all fired up!"

Lucy's POV

It felt good to laugh. I had heard laughter before throughout numerous guilds and streets, but never actually experienced it myself. But Nina made me laugh until I couldn't breathe. And hour ago, I had picked her up from Gray who had bought her ice cream and started telling her embarrassing stories from Fairy Tail. We had gotten to talking about small, unimportant things like favorite colors and foods, and at some point in time she began calling me 'Lucy-nee'.

I had never thought about her being my little sister, but it worked somehow. We talked, laughed, walked around Central, and I had quickly become attached to the young girl.

"Hey, Lucy!" A familiar voice cut me off mid-laugh.

I spun quickly and saw Loke, followed by half of the Fairy Tail guild, staring at me. Scanning the crowd, my gaze landed on an unfamiliar face. The boy looked about my age with messy pink hair and deep, trusting onyx eyes. I glared at him and turned away. After seeing the pairs of eyes that were staring at me in shock, I had quickly put back up my barrier and shifted my expression into its almost natural scowl. The first time that I had started to glare and close up, it had taken much work. But over time, I had managed to almost completely bury my naturally positive and cheery personality and replaced it with sarcasm and dark thoughts.

"Can I help you?" I growled at the crowd. Most averted their eyes, but a brave few held eye contact.

Normally a bad mistake. But I was in a bit of a good mood, so I would let it slide. I glared at every face that I saw and was about to speak again when I heard a small, worried voice speak to me. "Lucy-nee, what's wrong?"

I turned to her, and felt my gaze immediately soften. "Nothing's wrong, Nina. I'm perfectly fine." I didn't smile, but Nina seemed to relax.

"Hey, Bunny Girl. Am I mistaken, or did I just see you laugh?" Gajeel teased.

I whipped my head towards him and shot an icy glare. "Shut your mouth and quite eating nails, Metal Face. I think it might be causing hallucinations." After giving a final glare at no one in particular, I turned and jogged towards my house, tugging Nina along with me.

Seeing her worried look, I shrugged my shoulders and told her that I was going up to the roof. My apartment did not have a flat roof. Not even close. But there was something exhilarating about knowing that one wrong step, one misplaced footing could lead to my death. I always felt at peace up here, and when I needed to think, it was the first place I thought of. No one would find me up here.

I could feel my barriers coming down. Long ago I had built up walls around my heart. A barbed wire fence, a brick wall, and a dam. But ever since Nina had come along, I had been more open. More involved. Already she had managed to climb over my fence and was slowly pulling apart my wall, brick by brick. I knew that she would not be able to get through the dam, but her presence was still weakening my defenses. I had laughed today, and half of a guild saw. What was worse was, it was Fairy Tail. Sabertooth or Blue Pegasus could have kept their mouths shut, but not Fairy Tail. Within a week, all of Central would know.

I was in deep, deep trouble.

Natsu's POV

She looked familiar, but who was she? After that Lucy girl had run off with the kid, we had all stood around awkwardly. Then in hit me.

"Happy!" I called to the blue neko. He was talking to Lily when he heard my voice, and turned to look at me. Waving him over, I crouched down and spoke lightly in his ear. "That Lucy girl? I think it is her. The one I have been dreaming about."

At first he was still, then his eyes widened and Happy gaped at me. "Really? Then let's go get her!"

Slipping away from my guild mates, we trailed after the beautiful blond.

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**Alright, I am terribly disappointed in this chapter, so please don't be mean to me. Sorry about this I am working through a case of writers block. Again, should I slow down? Sorry for and grammar mistakes, and please review! I could really use your input. **


	6. Questions

**I apologize for the wait. I had a bit of writers block and to be honest I was procrastinating. Chapter six is now up so please enjoy!**

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Natsu's POV

Searching for this Lucy girl was a lot easier than I expected it to be. She didn't even try to hide where she live, and from what I gathered, she didn't need to.

Everyone in Central knew her, and almost everyone in Central avoided close contact with her. They knew where she lived and made sure to keep away from that part of the forest at all times.

I wasn't surprised that everyone knew where she lived. I wasn't surprised that her house was partially hidden by the trees. I wasn't even surprised that, despite her behavior, her home seemed to be cheerful and comfortable. What shocked me was the fact that she lived twelve feet from the hut that Igneel and I used to live in before he disappeared.

_Guess I have neighbors. _

I turned to Happy. "Now or never, right?"

"Aye sir!"

I was about to approach the house when I heard something that sounded oddly like…singing. How strange. As I got closer, I could make out a few words.

"_Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be." _A beautiful voice sang from above.

Walking around the trees that kept the house hidden, I was able to see Lucy sitting on the roof and staring straight ahead. Her face was expressionless, and it seemed as if she didn't feel anything. Her voice, on the other hand, told a different story. It was full of pain, loss, grief. In fact, it was full of every emotion that was inflicted on me in my dream. The emotions that I saw in the girl's eyes. No, not the girl. Lucy.

_"Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them know." _Her voice started to crack, her face starting to show just how broken she felt on the inside. I watched as she shook her head and replaced the broken expression with a frown and a glare. Whatever I had seen disappeared instantaneously. That, unfortunately, was when she chose to look down.

_Oh, shit._

Lucy's POV

As soon as I felt myself starting to break, I stopped singing. _Emotion is weakness._ Glaring at nothing in particular, I was about to get up when I realized I was being watched.

I looked down to see a boy that was about my age, perhaps a bit older. He had spiky, wild pink hair and deep, trusting onyx eyes. It was the same boy that I hadn't recognized earlier.

I shot to my feet and leapt off the top of the building. After doing a quick flip in the air, I grabbed a branch on the closest tree and held on, swinging myself up and landing in a defensive crouch while remaining perched on the branch. I was still a good ten feet higher than him, which gave me the advantage if this came down to a fight.

"What are you doing here, Pinky?" I hissed, reaching out a hand and placing it on the knife I kept in my boot.

He flinched, and I could tell that I had hit a sore spot. "It's _Salmon, _and I wanted to welcome you to Central!" The boy grinned.

I laughed darkly. "I have lived in Central for fourteen years. It's a little late for a welcome." _Wait, since when do I tell this stuff to strangers?_

He shrugged. "Well, I left Central about a week before you arrived, or so I was told, so I figured, better late than never! I'm Natsu by the way."

I examined him closely. After looking him up and down slowly, I came to the conclusion that he was just a kid in a man's body and was probably harmless for the most part. But then again, he could be faking it. Nothing is what it seems. On the outside, many mistook me for a harmless little girl. On the inside, I was a warrior.

Still, I eased up just a little, dropping my defensive stance. Instead of getting down from the tree, I quickly crawled along the branch until I came to the trunk and rested my back against it and made myself comfortable in the tree. I had slept in trees often enough to find the rough bark comforting against my skin.

Still glaring at him, I spoke. "I'm Lucy. But, most people call me Rouge Star." _Shut up, Lucy._

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Most people? I haven't seen a person yet that called you Lucy to your face."

I nodded. "Well, there are only a few exceptions. The Boss, of course, and then there is Sting and Rogue. Also, a few of the guild masters call me by my name. Then there is Mirajane. She has never really been big on the whole 'Rouge Star' thing." _Why am I telling him all of this? Damn it, Lucy! Get your act together!_

Natsu laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Mira."

There was an awkward silence between us, and I looked at my feet. I was wearing combat boots and black dirty jeans. A shredded grey t-shirt just barely covered me, and I realized that I hadn't paid any attention to what I threw on. I didn't even notice when I forgot to wear a bra, or when it just didn't cross my mind to put on pants. I guessed that I really did spend too much time alone.

Not that I cared. Normally it was fine. But right now there was a boy standing in front of me and I was starting to show off parts of myself that I would rather him not see.

After discovering this, I jumped down from the tree and walked to the door. After opening it I turned to him. "You might as well come in, just be quiet and don't touch anything."

I shoved through the door and ran up to my bedroom taking the stairs two at a time. After shutting the door, I turned to my dresser and pulled out the first thing I could find. It was a pair of light blue jeans, a white tank top, and a blue plaid button up shirt that hung loose, sort of like a jacket. I left the buttons undone and hopped back down the stairs to see Natsu talking to Nina.

I quietly slipped past them and into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Neither of them noticed me, but I was not able to hear what they were saying.

I moved to stand in the doorway and cleared my throat. They both spun around to face me, surprised. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Without a word, I moved into the living room, knowing that they would follow. Sitting down, I raised an eyebrow at Natsu and gestured for him to sit on the opposite couch while Nina took her place next to me.

"So why are you really here?" I asked.

He looked at me, a confused frown on his face.

"Look, Pinky. In all these years that I have lived in Central, not once has anyone personally sought me out at my house, even when it was important. And especially not just to say something as stupid and unimportant as a late welcome. So how about I ask you again? Why are you really here?"

Natsu looked at me a smirked. "You answer my questions and I'll answer yours."

I glared at him. "Fine. But I asked you first."

He sighed. "Well, you will think I'm crazy, and even though you are part of Central, I don't exactly trust you yet. So I cannot tell you everything right now, ok? Can you understand that?"

I hesitated before nodding. "Just tell me what you can."

Natsu ran a hand through his hair and looked down. "Well, I was born in Central. My birth mother died giving birth to me, and apparently my biological father had died a few weeks before. So I was sent to the capitol. A man named Igneel, who worked alongside the Boss, took me in. Kinda like a foster father.

"A few weeks before you showed up, Igneel disappeared. When that happened, I started having these dreams about a girl. I thought that maybe the girl could help me find Igneel, so I packed up and left Central in search of her. I haven't found her yet, so I returned to Central in hopes that I might find something by starting from the beginning. I heard your story from Erza, and thought that it was strange that a girl with no memories would show up not a month after I started having these dreams."

Natsu shrugged but his face was serious. "I thought that maybe they were linked. Maybe we can help each other."

I thought about what he had said. This was a lot to take in, but for once, I had a semi-solid lead. Should I take it? But I didn't trust him. I couldn't. Trusting people was dangerous.

Seeing my dilemma, he spoke once more. "You can have time to think about it. In the meantime, it's my turn." He looked at me. "Why do you hide your emotions?"

As if rehearsed, the answer came immediately. "_Rule #3: Emotion is weakness_."

He seemed surprised by my blunt answer.

It was my turn. "Are you a Mage?"

"Yes." He said. "Why did you become a Rouge? Erza says you are a potential Mage."

"Because if I find a lead I have to be able to leave at a moment's notice. What guild are you in?"

"Fairy Tail. Why don't you ever travel with others?"

_Don't give away too much information. You don't trust him yet. _"I don't like being responsible for others. Why is your hair pink?"

"It's salmon, and I was born that way. If you don't like being in charge of others, why did you claim Nina?"

I was silent for a moment, thinking. "I felt like it was my responsibility. Why do you care?"

"I'm curious. What would you do if I said that I could help you get your memories back?"

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**I am not sure what to think about this chapter...Sorry if it was a bit boring I will try and make the next one better. I hope you enjoyed it and please review!**


	7. Important Message (Please Read)

p style="text-align: left;"strongHey Guys, Fairy here. I want to apologize for not updating recently. I have been pretty busy with my other stories, school, and of course,  
life likes to get in the way. I have been having some trouble getting my creativeness flowing when it comes to this story, and it is a bit new to me because the words usually just flow right through my fingers. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to do next. Should I delete it? Or keep trying? For now, I am going to focus more on my other stories. please let me know what I should do. Gomen for making you wait./strong/p 


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